A gas turbine engine generally includes a fan and a core arranged in flow communication with one another. Additionally, the core of the gas turbine engine generally includes, in serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. In operation, air is provided from the fan to an inlet of the compressor section where one or more axial compressors progressively compress the air until it reaches the combustion section. Fuel is mixed with the compressed air and burned within the combustion section to provide combustion gases. The combustion gases are routed from the combustion section to the turbine section. The flow of combustion gases through the turbine section drives the turbine section and is then routed through the exhaust section, e.g., to atmosphere.
The fan typically includes a stator airfoil assembly known as an outlet guide vane (OGV) assembly. The OGV assembly comprises a plurality of outlet guide vanes, or stator airfoils, that extend between an inner hub and an outer casing. One or more brackets may be provided on an outer surface of the outer casing, e.g., for ground handling of the OGV assembly during manufacturing and assembly of the gas turbine engine. Loads applied at the brackets, as well as other radial loads applied to the OGV assembly, can increase stresses at the outer fillets of the airfoils, particularly in composite airfoils, which usually have relatively large curved regions constituting the outer fillets.
Accordingly, improved airfoil support at the airfoil outer fillets would be welcomed in the technology. In particular, a collar support assembly that supports the airfoil outer fillets without increasing the weight, cost, and installation complexity of the stator airfoil assembly would be beneficial. More particularly, such collar support assemblies that provide increased support for the airfoils to handle compressive or bending loads would be advantageous.